


A New Family

by PixeledPurple



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: AU, Adoption, Family, M/M, Transformer Sparklings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-09 14:12:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5542892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PixeledPurple/pseuds/PixeledPurple
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU  On a cybertron where the war never happened, Optimus and Ratchet are bonded and live happily together in a not to perfect world.  One day they come across an orphaned sparkling, and though neither of them had been expecting to start a family, they can't help but take him in.  And this is the story of how Optimus and Ratchet raise baby Bumblebee.</p>
<p>Warning for non graphic mentions of past sparkling abuse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A New Family

**Author's Note:**

> I do intend to add more chapters to this, but please note, it's intended to be more a series of drabbles in this verse more than a continuous story. Hope you enjoy. :)

"Good morning," Optimus said, giving Ratchet a kiss on the helm as he sat down at the kitchen table next to him with a cube of energon.

"Mmh," Ratchet murmured by way of a greeting, not taking his optics from the datapad he was glaring at.

"Something interesting?" Optimus asked, picking up his own datapad to peruse the morning news.

It was a moment before Ratchet looked up at him, "What?"

Optimus smiled, "I asked if you were reading something interesting."

Ratchet scoffed, "What's _interesting_ is how some of these students managed to get into medical school." Ratchet had agreed to teach a class twice a week at the university, and swore everyday he regretted it. Though Optimus knew better.

He smiled at Ratchet, "They're still young Ratchet, they don't have the benefit of your experience."

"Or a grasp of the basic rules of grammar, apparently," Ratchet muttered, going back to his reading.

Optimus shook his head in quiet amusement and went back to his own datapad.

An hour later, they were both off to work. Ratchet was working at the hospital today, and Optimus had a long day of meetings. It was a little more than halfway through the day when he had a chance to check his private messages to find one from Ratchet, text only.

"Not an emergency, need to talk to you," was all it said. It wasn't unusual for Ratchet to be brief, he had never been particularly fond of leaving messages. Optimus was about to open a comm channel to him, when someone called out to him.

"Optimus Prime, sir!" Smokescreen said, running up to him. "There is an urgent communication coming from Vos for you."

Optimus suppressed a sigh, this was the fourth so called urgent call from Vos this week. None of them had proven to be urgent, or, quite frankly, requiring the Prime's attention. Still, it was Optimus' duty. He would make time to call Ratchet later, he decided, and followed Smokescreen to the communications room.

***

It was late in the evening by the time Optimus got home. There were days when being Prime was truly rewarding, and he could see the difference he was making for the betterment of Cybertron. Then there were days like today, when he felt like everyone on the planet demanded his attention for petty squabbles. Still, if small matters were not resolved, they could fester and grow, and that could lead to war. Cybertron still had many problems, but he was grateful for the fact that at least they had managed to maintain peace.

It was only as Optimus opened the front door that he realized that he had never had the chance to call Ratchet back. He winced, hoping the matter had not been urgent. "Ratchet?" Optimus called once he was inside.

"Optimus," Ratchet said, coming out of their berthroom. In his arms, he was carrying a sparkling, wrapped snugly in a blanket.

Optimus blinked, staring at the sparkling.

Ratchet sighed, "I tried to call you..."

"I am sorry, Ratchet. I received your message, but was unable to return the call. Who is this?" he asked, walking up to his bonded to get a better look at the sparkling.

"His name is Bumblebee. He was brought into the hospital a few days ago, someone found him abandoned and damaged in an ally.

Optimus frowned, anger and sadness waring for his attention at the thought of someone abandoning something so helpless. "That is terrible," he gently stroking the sparkling's helm with one hand. Bumblebee made a quick buzzing noise and reached out to grab one of his fingers. Optimus smiled as the small yellow bot tugged at it with both hands.

"But, what is he doing here?" he asked Ratchet after a moment.

Ratchet hesitated long enough for Optimus to look away from Bumblebee and back up to him. "He was discharged today. He can't stay at the hospital anymore. And," he hesitated again, just for a moment. "The orphanages are full Optimus. No one can take him."

Optimus frowned. He knew that this is one of the problems they had in Iacon, but he had no idea that it was this bad. "And there are no foster families able to take him in?" Sparklings this young were usually easier to place in caring homes.

Anger flashed across Ratchet's field for a second before he regained his composure, most likely his restraint was for the sparkling's benefit. They tended to be exceptionally sensitive to EM fields. "'No one wants a damaged sparkling'," he said bitterly. "That's what they said. Didn't even try to put it delicately."

When Optimus just gave him a confused look, he elaborated, "We don't know what happened to him, but he was in bad shape when he came into the hospital. I was able to fix the obvious damage, but his voice box was somehow damaged beyond repair. I'm afraid there was nothing I could do," Ratchet said sadly. "He'll never be able to speak normally."

"That is all the more reason why he needs a loving family," Optimus said, now making a conscious effort to keep the emotions out of his field. He would review the laws in place to care for orphaned sparklings first thing tomorrow, he decided. This type of thing could not be allowed to happen.

"I agree," Ratchet said softly. His tone was enough to make Optimus look back at him. "Optimus, I was hoping he would be able to stay with us. Just," he added quickly, "until we can find him a permanent home."

Optimus smiled at him immediately, "Of course Ratchet. I would not have it any other way."

Ratchet smiled back as Optimus pulled him into a hug.

They shared their evening meal, then went to tuck Bumblebee in for the night.

Ratchet had borrowed a crib and some other supplies from the hospital, which they had set up in the corner of their berthroom. Getting Bumblebee to settle down once in the crib, however, proved to be impossible. Anytime Ratchet put him down, he would start to cry, or fuss, or whimper. Finally, several hours after they would have normally retired to their berth, they had finally fallen into recharge, with Bumblebee lying in between Ratchet and Optimus on their berth, clinging tightly to Ratchet's arm.


End file.
